Opinions on school uniforms

[Hmmmmm]

In High School, the girls had to wear full uniform (plaid shirt, a distinctive corded nylon blouse, wool blazer, stockings and saddle shoes).  The boys only had to wear a jacket and tie.  Of course, no jeans or sneakers were allowed. 

Final exams were in June and the school had no AC.  This caused a problem because mid June could get hot.  The boys were allowed to take their jackets off during an exam.  Because it was just possible that a bra strap could be seen through the nylon blouse, the girls had to keep their wool blazers on.  Why they couldn't just put all the girls in the back of the room and the boys in the front, I'll never know.

That's nuts!  What decade?

[Yvaine]

In High School, the girls had to wear full uniform (plaid shirt, a distinctive corded nylon blouse, wool blazer, stockings and saddle shoes).  The boys only had to wear a jacket and tie.  Of course, no jeans or sneakers were allowed. 

Final exams were in June and the school had no AC.  This caused a problem because mid June could get hot.  The boys were allowed to take their jackets off during an exam.  Because it was just possible that a bra strap could be seen through the nylon blouse, the girls had to keep their wool blazers on.  Why they couldn't just put all the girls in the back of the room and the boys in the front, I'll never know.

That's nuts!  What decade?

Not to mention that if this was a school-issued blouse, it's the school's own fault they ordered ones that were too flimsy for their own dress code. Not the girls' fault.

[lowspark]

My younger son's high school implemented a school uniform policy when he was a junior. I hated it. We had to go out and buy enough pants and shirts (uniform) to last him a week - a totally unnecessary expense as he had jeans and t-shirts galore which were fine for the previous years. I bought 5 of each, the bare minimum, and he just had to do laundry every weekend. He wore the same exact clothes week in and week out for two years. They were completely stained and worn out by the time he graduated, but I wasn't going to invest another cent in clothes that he would never again wear. What a huge waste of money.

Big vote against them here.

[Thipu1]

In High School, the girls had to wear full uniform (plaid shirt, a distinctive corded nylon blouse, wool blazer, stockings and saddle shoes).  The boys only had to wear a jacket and tie.  Of course, no jeans or sneakers were allowed. 

Final exams were in June and the school had no AC.  This caused a problem because mid June could get hot.  The boys were allowed to take their jackets off during an exam.  Because it was just possible that a bra strap could be seen through the nylon blouse, the girls had to keep their wool blazers on.  Why they couldn't just put all the girls in the back of the room and the boys in the front, I'll never know.

That's nuts!  What decade?

This was in the early 1960s.  The blouses weren't sheer but they weren't like cotton blouses either.    They were chosen because they didn't need ironing and could be easily washed in a sink at home, hung up to dry and be ready to go the next day. 

[OSUJillyBean]

I grew up on the lower end of middle class and sometimes I wish we could have had school uniforms.  Nothing crazy but a few polo shirts and nice khaki pants or a knee-length khaki skirt.  We had a large income gap in our middle schools and high school and I got teased a lot because I outgrew my jeans very quickly and Mom couldn't afford the expensive trendy clothes the cool kids wore.

I don't see uniforms as "killing a child's creativity" personally.  Most kids I knew just wanted to fit in anyways.  Uniforms would've helped to level the playing field.

[Piratelvr1121]

The area I grew up in was a well off area so a lot of kids had the designer brands of the time, like Guess.  I didn't, though my parents were well off enough and I just didn't get what the big deal was other than they cost more because of the name.   Well that and my mother wouldn't get them, though I didn't push either, I just wanted to wear something more suitable for my age.   Which I did get to do in high school, more or less. 

[MrTango]

I'm very glad that I went to schools for which there was no uniform.  Certainly, I wore uniforms for Marching Band and Cub/Boy Scouts, but I wouldn't have tolerated having to wear a uniform just to go to school.

[SiotehCat]

I'm very glad that I went to schools for which there was no uniform.  Certainly, I wore uniforms for Marching Band and Cub/Boy Scouts, but I wouldn't have tolerated having to wear a uniform just to go to school.

I am also glad that I didn't have to wear uniforms.

My family did not have much money, so I didn't get designer clothes. My shoes were always from PayLess. Pro Wings, anyone? I don't know if making fun of clothes wasn't popular then, but I never got made fun of for it.

DS has gone through so many "phases" and has tried so many styles. I have enjoyed watching him become the kid he is now. Who knows whats going to happen when he gets to High School.

Now that I am older and get to buy clothes wherever I want, I still shop at GoodWill.

[Judah]

Since I'm a bit of a clothes horse, you'd think I'd dislike uniforms, but the opposite is true. I went to private schools from first grade all the way through high school and I loved wearing a uniform. Not the uniform itself, they were ugly. I loved not having to think about what I was going to wear, not having to worry about being in style, or about the fact that my parents couldn't afford the expensive clothes most of my classmates' parents could afford.

[CakeEater]

My younger son's high school implemented a school uniform policy when he was a junior. I hated it. We had to go out and buy enough pants and shirts (uniform) to last him a week - a totally unnecessary expense as he had jeans and t-shirts galore which were fine for the previous years. I bought 5 of each, the bare minimum, and he just had to do laundry every weekend. He wore the same exact clothes week in and week out for two years. They were completely stained and worn out by the time he graduated, but I wasn't going to invest another cent in clothes that he would never again wear. What a huge waste of money.

Big vote against them here.

Don't people mostly do laundry every week anyway? Plus, if the clothes are worn every school day for two years, I would consider that good value for money.

I used to have only two uniform skirts and 4 shirts in highschool. I'd wear the same skirt on Monday and Tuesday, with a new shirt each day, we had to wear a sport uniform on Wednesday, and a new skirt for Thursday and Friday. Laundry on the weekend. It didn't seem like that much of a problem.

I think I had two sets of uniforms over the five years of high school.

[lowspark]

Every week? Nope. Every two weeks and stretch it out  if possible. Anyway, since my kids were responsible for doing their own laundry since they were about 12, that's how it went. Being tied to the washer every weekend without fail isn't all that practical in my opinion.

And yeah, you could look at it as great value that we stretched it out for the two years. But really, for the last several months, they were not really that wearable but we just made do, stains, holes, rips & all. It wasn't as if the clothes really lasted that long, we just made them last in lieu of buying new ones.

[ladyknight1]

DS wears a uniform for Scouts, but not for school.

We spend about $250 a year on clothes for him, 4-5 pairs of jeans, khaki pants, black pants, a few polos, t-shirts and a few button down shirts. The only reason we have to buy new clothes each year is he has grown 6 inches in two years.

[Library Dragon]

When DS2 started high school he opted to go to a boarding school about 45 minutes from our city.  One reason I was surprised was that he chose to go to a high school that required young men to wear dress slacks, white shirt, tie, dress shoes, and blazer most of the year.  He went from kahkis and polo shirts to a more dressy uniform. 

His personal style was and is jeans and black t-shirts with a super hero/game logo on it.  He explained that that he liked the more serious look during his school hours. 

[Jones]

I must ask, if kids are wearing a uniform, then have to change clothes in the afternoon, doesn't that double the amount of laundry done in a week? Or do most uniformed students leave their uniform on after school?

[ladyknight1]

Growing up, my sisters and I were made to change into play clothes after school or church regardless. I don't think a uniform would have made a difference.